A new industrial revolution is coming—not on Earth, but above it. This episode delves into how orbital shipyards will produce everything from shuttles to megastructures, changing how we explore and inhabit space.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Orbital Shipyards: Building Fleets in Space
Episode 722; June 5, 2025; Nebula Exclusive
Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: 
Anthrofuturism
Bryan Versteeg
Fishy Tree
Jeremy Jozwik
Melanovis
Sergio Botero
SpaceResourcesCGI
Udo Schroeter
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Phase Shift, "Forest Night"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story of Sun and Moon"
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector", "Oxygen Garden"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:15 Why Build in Orbit?
1:29 The Gravity Well Problem
3:22 Material Sourcing – The Importance of ISRU
5:44 Early Orbital Shipyards – Existing & Near-Future Projects
6:37 Lessons from Space Stations & Prototypes
8:22 Port George & Linus Scrapyard – Revisiting Fictional Shipyards
13:08 Infrastructure & Logistics of Orbital Shipyards
23:39 Constructing Different Types of Ships
31:58 Challenges of Large-Scale Shipbuilding
34:10 Maintenance, Repairs, and Refits – Sustaining a Spacefaring Fleet
39:25 Salvage and Recycling
40:37 The Future of Orbital Shipyards – Expanding Beyond Earth
43:03 The Rise of Megastructure Shipyards
44:29 Privatization and the Spacefaring Economy
46:12 Shipyards as Strategic Military and Political Assets
47:54 The Role of AI, Automation, and Post-Human Workforces

Orbital Shipyards - Building Fleets in Space (Narration Only)

Are we alone in the universe—or just early to the party? We’ll explore the math, models, and megastructures that might answer how many alien civilizations are out there, and why the night sky remains so quiet.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding

Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur

Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur

Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.


Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net

Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur

Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.

SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE



Credits:

How Many Alien Civilizations Are There?

Episode 723; June 8, 2025 

Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur

Editor: Ludwig Luska

Graphics: Ken York YD Visual

Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images

Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Phase Shift, "Forest Night"

 Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment" & "A New Day in a New Sector" 

Koalips, "Kvazar"

 Stellardrone, "Red Giant" & "Billions and Billions"

How Many Alien Civilizations Are There? (Narration Only)

How Many Alien Civilizations Are There?

Interstellar travel may one day take us to the stars, but surviving the journey could be the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. In this episode, we explore the physical, psychological, and societal trials of a voyage that could span centuries—or forever.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Interstellar Travel: Can We Survive The Long Journey?
Episode 724; June 12, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Bryan Versteeg
Jarred Eagley
Jeremy Jozwik
Melanvois
Udo Schroeter
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector", "Oxygen Garden", "Wonder Cycle"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"

Interstellar Travel: Can We Survive the Long Journey? (Narration Only)

Could we sculpt dead planets into living worlds? From artificial crusts and orbital mirrors to taming tectonics and engineering biospheres, this is your definitive guide to turning alien rocks into second Earths.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Interstellar Travel: Can We Survive The Long Journey?
Episode 725; June 15, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Jarred Eagley
Jeremy Jozwik
Ken York YD Visual
Mafic Studios
Sergio Botero
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector", "Oxygen Garden", "Wonder Cycle"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story About Sun and Moon"
Taras Harkavyi, "Alpha and..."
Dark Future, "Staring Through" pt1
Miguel Johnson. "The Commanders", "Far From Home"
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata", "Cosmic Soup"
Aerium, "Deijocht"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Solar Eclipse", "Billions and Billions"

The Terraforming Compendium - From Barren Rocks to Living Worlds (Narration Only)

In order to succeed in space, we must be able to produce as much as possible on-site, or ‘in situ’, but what are the most critical resources to harvest and how do we do it?

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.


Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
I.S.R.U. In-Situ Resource Utilization
Written, Narrated & Produced by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Fishy Tree
Jeremy Jozwik
Ken York / YD Visual
Sergio Botero
Udo Schroeter
Music Courtesy of
Epidemic Sound Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator


ISRU: In-Situ Resource Utilization (Narration Only)

Explore the real economics of building and operating a space elevator—from ship-launched ribbons to megaton climbers—and how this infrastructure could change the world.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Space Elevator Economics: Building And Operating A Superhighway To Space 
Episode 726; June 19, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Edited by:
Adrian Nixon
Ludwig Luska
Peter Swan
Graphics:
Anthrofuturism
Atlantis Project
Katie Byrne
Phil Swan
Sergio Botero
Udo Schroeter
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chris Zabriskie, "Unfoldment, Revealment", "A New Day in a New Sector"
Aerium, "Deijocht"
Stellardrone, "Red Giant", "Billions and Billions"
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata", "Cosmic Soup"

Space Elevator Economics - Building And Operating A Superhighway To Space (Narration Only)

Space colonization isn't about abandoning Earth—it's about transforming it. Discover how expanding into space can drive innovation, sustainability, and prosperity right here on the ground.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
How Colonizing Space Benefits Earth: The Ground-Level Gains of a Galactic Future
Episode 726.1; June 22, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Bryan Versteeg, Jeremy Jozwik, Sergio Botero
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

How Colonizing Space Benefits Earth - The Ground-Level Gains of a Galactic Future (Narration Only)

How Colonizing Space Benefits Earth - The Ground-Level Gains of a Galactic Future

From quantum tunneling to cosmic inflation, we journey through the theories behind the Big Bang and beyond — and ask the big question: could another Big Bang be in our cosmic future?

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
Could We See a Second Big Bang?
Episode 724.1; June 10, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images 
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator


0:00 Intro
1:59 Why Did the Big Bang Happen?
3:01 Quantum Fluctuations
5:20 Inflation and False Vacuum Decay
7:56 Cyclic Models and the Ekpyrotic Universe
9:43 Big Bounce Cosmology 
12:35 Tunneling from Nothing 
14:04 Beginnings, Endings, and Echoes

Could We See a Second Big Bang?

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the key to building lasting colonies in space—by turning local materials into shelter, fuel, and even food. Explore how humanity might thrive beyond Earth by living off the land on other worlds.

Watch my exclusive video Fishbowl Starships - Water As Shielding - https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-fishbowl-starships-water-as-shielding
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur
Use the link  https://gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $36.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits:
I.S.R.U. In-Situ Resource Utilization
Written, Narrated & Produced by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Fishy Tree
Jeremy Jozwik
Ken York / YD Visual
Sergio Botero
Udo Schroeter
Music Courtesy of
Epidemic Sound Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
3:20 Shelter
11:06 Extraction of Volatiles
13:45 Regolith Processing
16:55 Energy Production
18:19 Manufacturing and Construction
20:24 Agriculture
23:40 Propellant Production
26:25 Starlifting